Method and apparatus for crimping yarn



June 20, 1967 E. H. sHATTUcK METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING YARN Filed Aug. 18, 1965 om wm INVENTOR WAPT H. SHATTUCK ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,325,873 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CRlMPlNG YARN Ewaxt H. Shattuck, Wycli, Wilmington, Del., assignor to Joseph Bancroft & Sons Co., Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 480,720 4 Claims. (Cl. 28-1) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for crimping yarn and has for an object to provide means for the production of a variably bulked yarn in a crimping apparatus of the stutfer crimper type.

In accordance with this invention the yarn is iirst formed into a ribbon of successive loops which may or may not overlap and this ribbon is fed to the bite of a pair of feed rolls by which it is introduced into a stutter crimper wherein the yarn is crimped `as it is pressed against a mass of previously crimped yarn held under compacting pressure in the crimping chamber.

The bulk of the crimp varies with the position of the yarn in the loops as they emerge from the bite of the feed rolls. The bulk is a maximum in the portion of the yarn which extends in a direction normal to the bite and iS a minimum in the portion of the yarn which extends in a direction parallel to the bite. Hence the bulk varies around the periphery of each yarn loop to form a yarn of the type known as a thick and thin yarn.

In one embodiment the loops are formed by a ball loop mechanism of the type wherein the yarn is wrapped in successive loops around the surfaceof a rotating ball from which it is stripped by conveyor belts in the form of a ribbon of loops. The loops may, however, be formed in other ways as desired.

The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which a specific embodiment has been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of one form of apparatus for carrying out the present invent-ion; and

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing more in detail the apparatus is shown as comprising a feed cone having a hub 11 journalled on a hollow shaft 12 which is mounted in a bearing 13 in a bracket 14 and is rotated by a belt 15 driven by suitable means, not shown. The cone 10 is spring pressed by a spring 16 against a collar 17 carried by the shaft 12 and so arranged that the cone 10 is driven with the shaft when in its advanced position, but is released when retracted from the collar 17 yas by the accumulation of a mass of yarn within the cone.

The yarn 20 is fed through the hollow shaft 12 and through a guide slot 21 in the cone 1t) by which it is wrapped in successive loops around the surface of a ball 22 which lis mounted to rotate on a shaft 23 held in a bracket 24 and rotated by a pair of narrow belts 2S which ride in grooves 26 in the surface of the ball 22.

The belts pass over and are driven by a driving roll 27 and extend around a small `diameter roll 28 which is disposed as close as possible to the bite of a pair of feed rolls 30 and 31.

The arrangement is such that the yarn forms a succession of loops 32 which are stripped as a ribbon 33 from the ball 22 by the belts 25 and are conveyed by the belts into the bite of the feed rolls 30 and 31. The loops 32 :may or may not overlap depending upon the relative speeds of rotation of the cone 10 and of the ball 22.

The feed rolls 30 and 31 are mounted on shafts 34 and 35 which are geared together for operation in unison and driven by a belt 36. The shaft 34 is mounted in bearings in a block 37 and the shaft 35 is mounted in pivoted arms 38 which are spring spressed by a spring 39 for holding the rolls in feeding contact with the ribbon 33. The block 37 is provided with a passage 40 having a liner 41 forming a crimping chamber into which the ribbon 33 is fed 'by the bite of the feed rolls 3) and 31. The crimping chamber is of standard construction and only so much thereof has been shown as is necessary to an understanding of the present invention. Suitable means is provided to maintain the mass of crimped yarn in the chamber 40 under a predetermined back pressure, for heating the chamber and for extracting the crimped yarn from the discharge end of the chamber.

As the loops emerge from the bite of the feed rolls, a portion of the yarn in the loop lies parallel to the line of the bite and contacts the mass of crimped yarn without receiving any substantial crimp while other portions extend normal to the line of the bite and receive a maximum amount of crimp. The amount of crimp in other portions varies according to the angle at which it is introduced into the crimping chamber. Hence the resulting yarn is variably bulked along its length. The loops 32 have been shown as circular in form, they may however be made oval in form or in any other predetermined shape and the bulk of the crimp produced in the various portions of the loops will vary according to the variations in loop shape. These variations may be made by correspondingly altering the contour of the ball V22 or by other suitable means.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of making a variably bulked yarn in a stufer crimper having a crimping chamber and a pair of feed rolls having a bite disposed to feed yarn into said crimping chamber for crimping therein, which comprises forming the yarn into Ia succession of loops and passing the loops in the form of a ribbon of loops to the bite of said rolls whereby the crimp varies along the yarn in the loops according to the angle at which the various portions of the yarn are introduced into the crimping chamber.

2. Apparatus for making a variably bulked yarn comprising a stulfer crimper having a crimping chamber adapted to hold a mass of crimped yarn, and feed rolls having a bite disposed to feed yarn into said chamber for mechanical crimping therein, mechanism to form a ribbon composed of a series of partially overlapped yarn loops and means feeding said ribbon to said bite to be fed thereby into said crimping chamber to be folded over and crimped against the back pressure of the mass of previ- -ously crimped yarn in said chamber, whereby the crimp varies -along the yarn in the loops according to the angle at which the various portions of the yarn are introduced into the crimping chamber.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which said mechanism comprises a rotating ball, means laying said yarn in a series of loops on the surface of said ball and means stripping the loops from said ball as a ribbon of loops.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which a pair of belts are disposed to engage and drive `said ball, said belts extending to said bite for conveying said ribbon thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/ 1959 McMaster et al. 28-1 2/1-964 Drummond 28-21 X 

2. APPARATUS FOR MAKING A VARIABLY BULKED YARN COMPRISING A STUFFER CRIMPER HAVING A CRIMPING CHAMBER ADAPTED TO HOLD A MASS OF CRIMPED YARN, AND FEED ROLLS HAVING A BITE DISPOSED TO FEED YARN INTO SAID CHAMBER FOR MECHANICAL CRIMPING THEREIN, MECHANISM TO FORM A RIBBON COMPOSED OF A SERIES OF PARTIALLY OVERLAPPED YARN LOOPS AND MEANS FEEDING SAID RIBBON TO SAID BITE TO BE FED THEREBY INTO SAID CRIMPING CHAMBER TO BE FOLDED OVER AND CRIMPED AGAINST THE BACK PRESSURE OF THE MASS OF PREVIOULSY CRIMPED YARN IN SAID CHAMBER, WHEREBY THE CRIMP VARIES ALONG THE YARN IN THE LOOPS ACCDORDING TO THE ANGLE AT WHICH THE VARIOUS PORTIONS OF THE YARN ARE INTRODUCRED INTO THE CRIMPING CHAMBER. 